Love in a Hopeless Place
by TheOrchidSagiso
Summary: A battlefield is no place for emotions, no place for friends and certainly no place for love. Though it seems even soliders need these things to carry on through both victory and loss.
1. Tap Out (Reiner x Reader)

The moon had risen high into the sky, it penetrated the otherwise dark night, and cast a soft glow over the training grounds. You made your way over to the ODMG practice stand cautiously, your head on a swivel as you kept an eye out in case any of your superiors had decided to take a late night stroll. After deciding the coast was clear, you strolled over to the training mechanism and cranked the lever a couple times, shortening the wires just enough so that your feet would barely be off the ground. You climbed onto the small stool you had brought with you and fastened the wires to your belt before stepping off the stool.

"Okay, I got this." You stated as you held your arms out, trying not to lose your balance as you wavered from side to side. A triumphant smirk played on your lips as you finally steadied yourself. "Yes!" You said excitedly aloud, throwing a fist into the air victoriously.

You felt a strong force on your back and before you knew it your face was in the dirt. Groaning at the impact, you tried to position yourself upright by flailing around, but to no avail, it seemed you were stuck with no way down. Then, the sound of laughter was heard, a deep, hearty laugh that seemed all too familiar.

"Reiner, don't be mean to (Y/N). She's trying to improve her skills and you're just messing with her." Another familiar voice spoke and you recognized it as Bertholdt, a fellow cadet of the 104th training class.

"Reiner, you ass!" you huffed, trying to spin your body around to see the duo.

"Let me down!" crossing your arms, you gave your best angry face as you slowly shifted to face Reiner.

"Bahahaha-" The blonde haired cadet began laughing even harder, his hand resting on his abdomen as he tried to calm himself down. "Y-you look like a kid w-who didn't get her dessert." He teased, once again breaking out in laughter.

"Bertholdt, will you let me down since Reiner is being mean?" You asked innocently, your crossed arms relaxing to hang next to your head as you looked to the dark haired man.

Nodding his head, Bertholdt moved over to the lever and turned it slowly, letting you down onto the ground gently. He then moved towards you and extended a hand out, which you gladly took, as he helped you onto your feet. You gave your brain a moment to reorient itself and to get the blood flowing through you normally again.

"Thank you Berty, you're such a gentleman." You spoke appreciatively, quickly glancing towards Reiner as he stopped laughing and his face sported a small frown at your words. "Now-" You started, your (E/C) hues focusing on the blonde haired cadet, glaring at him menacingly, "Payback time." Without giving him time to think you pounced and tackled Reiner causing the both of you to tumble onto the ground. "I'm not gonna let you go unless you tap out." You warned as you wrapped your legs around the man's abdomen, trapping his arms against his side in the process.

Reiner blinked up at you in surprise, his eyes wide as if he was in a case of shock. You smirked victoriously as you looked down at him. You could see that he was somewhat uncomfortable, even though he joked about things like this, he was easily flustered when faced with the actual situation.

Your eyes contained a hint of deviousness mixed into their playful gleam as you slowly leaned down towards Reiner, you were so close that you could feel his breath hit your cheek. You stared into his hazel eyes, observing his reaction as you felt his breath hitch slightly leading you to suppress a giggle at how vulnerable he seemed in this moment.

You brought your hand up slowly, hoping he wouldn't notice the small movement.

"Boop."

You had planted your index finger on the tip of his nose and watched gleefully as the features on his face shifted from flustered to confused to something you couldn't quite decipher. You raised up suddenly, now in a straddling position as you giggled uncontrollably at Reiner's reaction. He struggled to get his arms free from under you but his attempts were useless and his actions caused you to grip your legs tighter around his frame.

"Bertholdt." Reiner stated commandingly, "This would be a good time to step in." his voice was smooth and controlled but it held a slight sense of urgency.

You took a moment to glance over to Bertholdt, you were ashamed to admit it, but you had almost forgotten about him even being in the vicinity. When your gaze caught his you saw humor in his green hues he swiped a few loose tears from the corners of his eyes and you realized he had been laughing, a few chuckles still escaping from his wide smile as he watched the interaction with amusement. Bertholdt threw both hands up in a defensive manner.

"I'm just the audience, I don't have any part in this...whatever this is." He stated waving his hands to dismiss his involvement. "I do have to ask though Reiner," He started as his eyes shifted to the blonde male that was still trying to unpin himself from you, "Why are you pretending that you don't like (Y/N) being on top of you?" Berthold feigned an innocent expression as he said this, though you knew the comment was anything but.

Reiner instantly stopped moving, shock apparent on his face as he looked at Bertholdt unbelievably. You looked at the ground, suddenly finding the dirt extremely interesting. Of course, your shifted gaze had absolutely nothing to do with the redness that had started warming your cheeks.

"Are you gonna let me go now or what?" Reiner asked, his voice, low and smooth, rumbled through his chest and you were suddenly aware of the fact that the position you were in was somewhat intimate.

"No." You spoke quietly, your voice barely above a whisper as you continued to stare at the ground. "I told you, I'm not gonna let you go unless you tap out."

A few moments of silence passed as you tried to calm your fluttering heart. You had never realized it before but Reiner had taken hold of your heart, he had found a soft spot and nestled himself there and honestly, you wouldn't have it any other way.

"How can I tap out if you're holding my arms hostage?" His voice was soft and his sudden tenderness caught you off guard causing you to look into his hazel eyes. A small smile lit up his face and you believed you saw a blush tinting his cheeks with a touch of red.

His smile faded as he was taken in by your features, your (E/C) eyes gazing at him warmly and the blush that had crept up your neck onto your cheeks was driving him wild. Reiner had never seen you like this, he always saw you as the kind yet devilish little spitfire you usually were, but he was glad to get to see this shy part of you. It may have been selfish of him, but he was hoping that this would be a side that only he had the privilege to see.

"Hm...I hadn't thought of that." You answered honestly, your index finger coming up to scratch your cheek nervously. Your smile widened causing your eyes to close and you suddenly felt Reiner shift his weight from underneath you.

You hadn't even realized that your hold on the blonde cadet had relaxed until he had freed his arms and turned the tables on you. He hovered over you, not restraining you in any way like you had done to him, instead he had his hands resting on each side of your body, holding himself above you as he stared into your (E/C) hues. The blush across your cheeks deepened as you stared up at Reiner's form, your lips parted slightly but the words you had been about to speak were long forgotten. The blonde warrior raised his hand and tapped the ground three times, the movement precise yet gentle before he lowered himself closer to you.

"There. I tapped out." His voice came out as a low whisper his warm breath tickling your ear as he leaned his head back slightly to look into your eyes once more.

"R-Reiner." You muttered quietly. His name the only coherent thought you could form.

Your body then moved on its own as you raised yourself upwards, your soft lips connecting with his as you closed your eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his kiss. A brief moment passed before you realized what you had done and you broke the kiss, laying your head back onto the ground as you looked up at Reiner with worry clear in your eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I wasn't thinking clearly-" your apology was cut off by his lips pressing against yours once again, you relaxed into his touch as he brought his hand up to caress your cheek. "You don't ever have to apologize to me, for anything." He mumbled softly as he raised his head to look into your eyes once more.

"So...you two are cute and all, but it's almost morning and the others will be awake soon." Bertholdt said suddenly, his voice wavering from the embarrassment of intruding on such an intimate moment.

You giggled through your embarrassment as Reiner raised himself onto his feet and took your hand, helping you to stand. You dusted yourself off before smiling brightly and shifting your gaze between Reiner and Bertholdt.

"What's so funny?" The duo asked almost in unison before looking quizzically at each other then returning their gazes back to you.

"Oh nothing..." You started as you began walking back towards your barracks. "Just reveling in the fact that I made Reiner Braun tap out." You threw your head back over your shoulder and laughed at their expressions before skipping away to your bed area.


	2. Face the World (Marco x Reader)

It was the last day of your career as a trainee, tomorrow you were going to choose which regiment to join. You should be focusing on the decision that would shape your future, but instead you were preoccupied with thoughts of an early death. Your mind raced, your focus swaying as you used the ODM Gear strapped to your hips to maneuver throughout the city. You avoided most of the titans you encountered, opting to bypass them instead of picking a fight.

There was just no way you could win, I mean you had killed a titan once before, mainly blind luck on your part, and had a couple assists on your record, but it was a different story when so many of the monsters were meandering about ready to devour everything they could get their grimy hands on.

A sudden scream pulled you from your thoughts, your focus shifting to the sound, determining which direction it was coming from before carefully speeding towards it. It was human, of that you were certain, the voice was familiar, though the choked sobs seemed out of place. You were gaining ground, moving ever closer to the target when you were caught off guard by the male voice's words.

"Just tell me why... Why are you doing this to me? Why won't you talk to me!?" Sobs wracked throughout the pleas, causing your heart to catch in your throat. You had to find this person, and fast, they seemed delirious. Were they trying to talk to a titan?

You rounded the corner of a tall building, smaller houses coming into view as your (e/c) hues searched for the pleading figure. What you saw however, you were not prepared for. There was a 10-meter-tall titan who held a dark-haired figure in its hand. It seemed to have just picked the cadet up and was preparing to enjoy the snack, you let out a shriek as you flew towards the titan, your ODM Gear harpooning into the titan's shoulder as you used the momentum to spin around the creature and slice the nape of its neck. As you followed through with your blades, the world seemed to stop. Everything was happening in slow motion as you saw Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie just watching, surprise clear on their faces at the fact that you had saved the cadet. Your features twisted into a scowl; your glaring eyes threw all the hatred of your being towards the trio before you swiftly swooped down to catch the falling cadet right as he should have hit the ground.

"Hold on tight Marco." You ordered. With a nod of understanding Marco gripped his arms tighter around you, trying to position his body to give you the best sense of balance with his added weight. "I expect you to explain everything to me once we are safe." You expended more ODM fuel as you sped up, your (h/l) (h/c) hair whipping wildly in the wind created by the sudden movement.

After a few moments you decided to land on the ground, grabbing Marco's hand and leading him into a small building which appeared to have once been a bakery. You stood guard by the door, breathing shallow through your fear, until you ensured you hadn't been followed. You then moved further into the building, finding a spot away from any windows as you stood against the wall, arms crossed over your chest as you kick a leg back to support yourself on the wall.

"So," You started, eyeing Marco as you waited for him to begin his story. Silence. He didn't begin talking so you continued, "What was that all about, why were those three just watching you almost get eaten?" Your voice was tough, demanding because you wanted answers, but as Marco's gaze shifted and his eyes met your own, he could see the worry and fear behind them.

"I-I found something out, about Reiner and Bertholdt. I heard them talking about it and I wanted to believe they were joking...but-" His voice trailed off, his eyes tearing up as he recounted the events that almost led to his death. "They tried to kill me (y/n). They tried to kill me because I found out what they really are." His hand went up to his face, covering his eyes briefly before moving upwards and pushing his hair back, smoothing it out slightly.

You began walking towards Marco slowly, each step echoing in the empty room, adding tension to the already uncomfortable silence. "What do you mean Marco, what did you figure out?" You knelt, grabbing Marco's free hand from the arm of the chair and you encouraged him to continue.

"(Y/n)..." He paused, the words he was about to speak seemingly caught somewhere between his mind and his throat. "Reiner and Bertholdt are the Armored and Colossal Titans." His eyes glanced around the room before finally locking onto yours, full of sorrow and despair, and anger. You could tell he was conflicted; these were people he had trusted; you had all trusted.

You would never be able to forgive them, not just for keeping their identity a secret, or for bringing humanity to the brink by smashing the walls, but for trying to murder Marco all because they were careless and got caught in their own lie. Your heart hurt for Marco, and you wanted nothing more than to comfort him in that moment.

"Marco." Your voice was soft, sincere, and you hoped it conveyed just how sorry you felt for this kind boy who had been through so much in just a single day. You stood up, your grip on his hand causing him to rise with you as you pulled him into a warm embrace. A tear escaped you, slipping down your cheek before planting itself on the man's chest. "They will come looking for you. We have to find a way to get them to give up on hunting you down." Your voice was surprisingly strong, determination clear as your mind focused on finding a plausible solution.

"(Y/N), it's okay. There's nothing either of us can do to stop that from happening, they will find me eventually and I don't wanna run away forever, that wouldn't be any kind of life." His voice was low, fear and regret heavy in his tone, though a light trace of humor was heard too. "I just wish I hadn't brought you into this mess, you shouldn't have rescued me, but honestly I'm glad you did. Does that make me selfish?"

His lips curved up into a small smile, causing your heart to ache once again for the man. He didn't deserve this, any of it. Marco Bodt was one of the good guys, one of the purest, kindest, most lovable people you had ever known. You truly believed that if all of mankind was as honest and respectable as this freckle faced cutie then man would never have been plagued with war or famine to begin with. It wasn't fair, and you silently cursed the gods who had allowed such a fate to befall this kind soul.

"Who cares if it makes you selfish, you deserve to be selfish at a time like this. Besides, if it helps to know, then I'm glad I saved you too." You softly nuzzled your face into his chest further, causing his scent to fill your senses as you breathed a small sigh of contentment. "Titans be damned, I will find a way to protect you." Your voice came out as a low mumble, muffled by the fabric of Marco's shirt.

It had been a couple hours now since you and Marco had escaped from Reiner and his gang by ducking into the small bakery, and you had brainstormed a plan that just may save the dark-haired cadet, assuming you could find the right props to help out your cause. You shuddered at the thought of having to walk through a titan infested town in search of a particular item. What bothered you more, however, was the fact that you were searching for a dead body, one who had to at least resemble Marco. It had to be believable enough that even Jean, Marco's best friend, believed he was dead. That would be the only way to save Marco, you just hoped and prayed it would actually work.

"Marco, you know you will have to leave the cadets and hide inside the walls after this right?" You asked, your eyes never ceasing to scan each lifeless body you passed, searching for the perfect corpse.

"Yeah. I know." His gaze was downcast, voice gruff as he allowed his sadness to overtake him. He wasn't fond of the idea of having Jean think he was deceased, but he knew it was the only way to stop things from escalating with Reiner and Bertholdt. "You will have to go into hiding too, won't you (y/n)?" His gaze finally left the ground and turned to you expectantly.

"Yes, I will have to disappear. They will either write me off as abandoning my duties or being missing in action, that should appease those smug titan shifters. With any luck they will just assume I got eaten by the same titan you did." You spoke openly, wincing at the thought of your friends crying over the death of two of their close comrades. "I swear to you though Marco, we will return to them someday. I don't know if they will forgive us for lying to them, but we will see them again." Your fist clenched tightly as you, yet again, cursed those damn titan shifters for all the anguish they have caused, not just today, but since the first day they had appeared.

Looking to your left, you noticed a dark-haired corpse that had been ripped in half. The figure was slumped against the wall of a collapsing building and bared a striking resemblance to Marco. Moving closer to the body you could certainly tell it wasn't said boy, but it should do well enough to fool the others, especially in the distraught state of mind they would be harboring during the cleanup. You pulled a burning piece of wood from the crumpled house next door and ground the end against the pavement, effectively extinguishing the fire. You then stuck the charcoal-like tip of wood to the corpse's cheek, the act causing a slight bit of bile to rise in your throat. You swallowed it down, refusing to lose what small control you still had of yourself as you finished marking the body's sullen cheeks with makeshift freckles.

"Think that will work?" You asked aloud, spinning around to face Marco as he examined your work.

"It has to." He stated simply, his gaze holding almost no emotion as he turned and began to walk away. "So, what now?" He asked suddenly, looking back towards you before stopping mid step to allow you to catch up with him.

"We find a place to live for a while, let things calm down, then we expose those murderous bastards for what they really are." Your words were violent, but your tone was light and airy as you hooked your arm through Marco's, holding him tightly to you and began walking again.

Marco was your anchor, the one thing in this world that could keep you sane and you had a sneaking suspicion you held the same position in his life. Though the situation seemed grim, you were happy that you had been able to save the freckle-faced boy, even if it meant having humanity's nemesis against you, because as long as the one you loved was by your side, you could face the world.


	3. Be My Girlfriend? (Armin x Reader)

You brought your arm up towards your face, wiping the sweat from your brow with the sleeve of your uniform jacket. After taking a swig of water you set the bottle back down and surveyed the dry training grounds. The cadets were all going hard, giving their all in the hand to hand combat training. Personally, you didn't understand why you needed close quarter combat training, but the higher ups were making the 104th class go through it anyway.

"At least it's fun to watch some of them get tossed on their ass." You spoke aloud to yourself, chuckling as you watched Connie get flipped by Jean. After your small break you walked back into the dirt field, waiting for a new sparring partner as you watched everyone else continue to fight.

You saw a flash of blonde tumble to the ground and were shocked to see Armin had been flipped to the ground by Eren. You shook your head as you watched Armin try to mimic Eren's combat style, failing miserably time after time. You grabbed a couple spare water bottles, filled them and traipsed over to the friendly duo.

"Hey guys." You spoke, your voice light and happy despite how drained you felt from the heat. "Take a break, don't wanna drag both of you to the infirmary." Letting out a small laugh you tossed Eren his water and watched as he ripped the lid off and chugged the cool liquid, some of it running out of his mouth at the corners.

"Thanks (Y/N), I could use a break." Armin spoke, his voice soft and innocent as he took the water bottle and began drinking. "How are you doing with this training?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested in your day.

"Honestly it all seems useless against titans, but it is fun watching everyone spar." You gave the blonde a kind smile as you thought of your next words carefully. "Hey, Armin." You spoke, regaining the boy's attention. "Would it be rude if I offered you some advice?" You wrung your hands together nervously hoping the question hadn't offended him.

You had grown pretty fond of Armin, and honestly Eren and Mikasa as well. Since you had first met the trio of friends they had piqued your interest. They were all opposites but they worked so well together and anyone could see how close they all were. Armin was unlike most other cadets though, he seemed almost fragile. He wasn't strong in a physical sense, and not particularly in an emotional sense either, but that brain of his was something else. He had the potential to be a great leader, and for some reason you wanted to do your best to ensure he was prepared for that role when the time came.

"Well, I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to fighting, so any advice would be appreciated." He looked down as he spoke, seemingly embarrassed, but not upset by the offer.

"Come here then." You spoke, quickly grabbing his hand and escorting him a little ways away from Eren and the majority of the other cadets. Once you were satisfied with the spot, you let go of the blonde's hand and got into a fighting stance. "Okay, so you need to develop your own fighting technique. One that works with your strengths and weaknesses instead of against them." You motioned for Armin to get into his stance and when he did you lunged towards him, easily grabbing hold of his arm and holding him in his spot.

His eyes widened, surprised at your quick movements. "Eren told me that I need to just go for it, rush them before they can rush me." He spoke quietly, his gaze shifted to the hold you had on his forearm.

"Well, that's Eren's style." You spoke casually, releasing the boy's arm. "That works for him because he's so headstrong and losing isn't an option for him." You paused briefly, before looking back at Armin. "For you though, an approach like that isn't going to work. Your strength is your mind and the plans you can come up with. You should build your technique around that." You got back into a fighting stance, but this time you stayed still, making Armin decide on the first move.

"Uh..." The blonde cadet stood there, his stance half wavering as he was unsure of what moves to make.

"Think of it like any other strategy. You've got the goal in mind, now make it happen. Instead of a battle of strength though, make it a battle of wits." You spoke, your voice serious but carrying a playful tone. "Just outsmart your enemy." You waved your hand dismissively around you indicating it wouldn't be a difficult task for the boy to outsmart most any other cadet.

"Okay, here goes nothing." Armin mumbled under his breath before regaining his defensive stance.

You also took the defensive, encouraging Armin to make the first move. He switched to the offensive and charged at you in the same manner Eren had taught him earlier, you were about to grab his arm again and flip him, but he changed his path right before he made contact with you. Your hand missed him and he spun quickly and grabbed your wrist before shifting his bodyweight downwards causing you to lose your balance and fall onto the ground.

"That was amazing Armin!" The enthusiasm in your voice was apparent and caused the blonde to blush slightly as he offered his hand to help you up. "I didn't expect you to change strategies so quickly." You spoke honestly, letting your friend help you up.

"Must be because I have a good instructor." He stated simply, his own words darkening his already apparent blush.

"I wouldn't mind instructing you in a few other areas." You said playfully, sending the blonde cadet a wink before giggling as his face grew redder.

"U-um...do you mind if we spar again?" Armin asked quickly, trying to regain his composure. You nodded, falling back into your defensive stance as the two of you continued to train well into the later hours on the day.

~~~Time Skip~~~

After a quick shower, you headed towards the mess hall to grab some dinner. After receiving your bread and soup you sat across from Mikasa and Eren with Armin next to you. You joined in the conversation they had already started, talking about the training that day and how Eren wanted to destroy the titans, his enthusiasm catching everyone's attention before causing him and Jean to start arguing.

"Those idiots." You let out a happy sigh that quickly turned to a laugh as you noticed Mikasa stepping in to stop the argument from escalating. Eren ignored her and continued the argument while Jean obeyed Mikasa's every word. "When is he going to man up and just ask her out? He is clearly in love with her." You spoke aloud, but were sure no one had heard you over the testosterone fueled argument happening in front of you.

Little did you know, however, a certain blonde-haired cadet had heard you and your words had inspired him.

"Did you mean what you said earlier when we were training?" Armin asked suddenly, his voice barely a whisper as he leaned towards you and put his hand up, covering his mouth in case of any one trying to eavesdrop.

"What did I say earlier?" You asked, genuinely confused as to what he was talking about.

Armin's face flushed crimson as he thought about how to remind you of the comment you had made to him earlier. Instead of using words, he simply grabbed your hand and led you out of the dining hall, no one noticed the two of you sneaking away though because they were too enthralled by the continuing battle between Eren and Jean.

Once you two had made it outside and away from everyone Armin let go of your hand and stared at his feet, wringing his hands nervously.

"S-so earlier you said you wouldn't mind instructing me in some other areas." A brief sigh escaped the boy's lips as he gathered his nerve to continue. "I was wondering if you were serious." He finally looked up at you and you noticed that his eyes held a slight look of determination, his demeanor becoming less nervous.

"Of course. I mean, I said it as a joke, but you should know that I would help you with anything Armin." You spoke sincerely, a smile forming on your features.

"Well," He started, watching your features closely to judge your reaction. "I heard you say that Jean should go ahead and ask Mikasa out because he obviously loves her, and it made me want to confess to the girl I like to." He mumbled the last part, losing his nerve as his gaze shifted back to the ground.

For a brief moment your eyes lit up at the possibility that he could be talking about you, then logic had to rear its ugly head and remind you that people don't ask for relationship advice from their crush. You let out a small sigh of defeat and thought about inquiring as to who the blonde liked, then thought better of it as it would just hurt you more. Instead, you decided to try and give the boy the best advice you could, not that you were very well versed in the world of dating, but you wanted him to be happy. So, you pushed down the hurt and planted a bright smile on your face before answering his request.

"Honestly I'm not very good in situations like that, but if it were me then I would just tell her. Be sure she knows that you can still be friends no matter what her answer is though, because nothing is worth losing a friendship with someone you care about." Your last words held more meaning than they ought to have held, but that's how you felt about your and Armin's relationship. Having him as a close friend was not something you would ruin by confessing your affections for him. Quite honestly it surprised you that he even harbored romantic feelings for someone, the entire reason you hadn't spoken up sooner was because he seemed to be indifferent to the idea of romantic relationships.

"I would never want to lose our friendship." Armin spoke up, his voice pulling you away from your thoughts and your eyes met his. "No matter what your answer was (Y/n)." You blinked at him, your brain lagging before his words actually registered.

Widening your eyes in surprise you spoke cautiously, assuming this was all a joke that someone had put him up to. "What are you saying Armin?"

"I like you, (Y/n). A lot. And I've wanted to tell you for so long but I didn't want to lose you as a friend because I love being around you." He spoke quickly, as if he was trying to force his confession out before he backed out.

Your bright smile widened and became more genuine as you let out a small giggle. How had you both liked each other without noticing, let alone not confess for the exact same reason? The irony was too great and you couldn't help but let out a small snort as you tried to control your giggles. Armin just watched, his features containing a mix of emotions as he tried to decipher your reaction.

"Armin!" You yelled excitedly, catching the boy off guard. "I've liked you for the longest time, but didn't tell you for the exact same reason!" You enthusiasm was contagious and caused the blonde-haired cadet to smile, his happiness blatantly showing on his face.

"S-so does this mean you will be my girlfriend?" Armin asked, his cheeks dusted with a rosy shade of red as he gazed caringly into your (e/c) eyes.

You leaned towards him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before whispering your reply, "Yes Armin. I would love to be your girlfriend."


End file.
